AVPS: Clock Hands
by Omamori
Summary: Based on A Very Potter Sequel.  What if Ron and Hermione had been to late to get to Harry in Act 2 Part 7?  What wuold have happened?  Read the story to find out.
1. Torture

**ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE WATCHED A VERY POTTER SEQUEL PLEASE.**

**Ok, I really shouldn't be starting a new story, I've got waaaay too many in progress ones, but what can I say, my mind moves so fast, and I'm, well, I'm not a good, **_**juggler**_** but you know what I mean.**

**I'm afraid this story probably won't be very funny (more like incredible heartbreaking and monotonous) and nor will the characters break into song (because I'm a terrible song writer and it didn't fit with the mood anyway).**

**The story starts just as Harry enters Umbridge's office, at the end of Act 2 part 5.**

**Just to warn you; a lot of the beginning is just the play put into words, with the addition of just after Harry gets knocked unconscious, and the rest of it is probably quite depressing. Read it anyway and tell me what you think :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and publishers, A Very Potter Sequel belongs to Starkid. The other characters are based on JK Rowling but were edited by Starkid. None belongs to me except the edited bits of the storyline.  
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-0000-

Harry opened the door quickly, wanting to get away from the drunken man behind him as quickly as possible. He sincerely hoped that he had misheard everything that Snape had said, especially towards the end.

"Professor Umbridge?" he called, wondering where the woman, _thing_, was, "It's me, HP, you asked for me to come here?" _And then didn't turn up yourself? _"I want to talk to you about something." Harry walked around the room, looking for the Headmaster, "Hello?"

"Hello, boy," came a voice from the far side of the room, Harry looked up to see a tall man with long blonde hair and a totally awesome fashion sense.

"Oh, hi!" he replied brightly, totally oblivious to the danger in front of him.

"_Stupify!_" He wasn't now.

Harry cried out as he fell backwards, blackness swimming into his vision. _Hermione,_ he thought, _I'm sorry, I should have listened. _ And then everything went black.

Lucius Malfoy walked up to the limp boy. Harry was lying on his side and Lucius reached out with his foot and rolled the child onto his back. Harry's hair fell away from his face, showing his bright lightning scar in all its glory.

"Stupid boy," murmured Lucius, and then turned to the Deatheaters who had just come out of the inner office, "I would have thought the famous _Harry Potter_," he sneered, "would've been smart enough to evade capture, or at least seen it coming. I swear, Wizard God alone knows how this _child_," Lucius kicked Harry's prone form in the side, "ever managed to beat the Dark Lord!" The Deatheaters all nodded in agreement and then looked down at the boy who had ruined all their plans.

The child way lying on his back, his eyes were shut lightly and flickering. His breathing was normal but apart from that he was completely still. His black hair had fallen from his face and his right arm was still in the position it had been when he was on his side: outstretched. His left arm had fallen to the ground when Lucius kicked him and now lay loosely beside him. His lightning scar caught the attention of most, though, its red colour standing out brightly against the boy's now pale skin; a sickly reminder of all he had caused them to lose.

"You three," said Lucius, pointing at Yaxley and the two Deatheaters beside him, "help me with Potter. The rest of you, go get the _supplies_." Lucius smiled darkly down at Harry, evidently looking forward to what was to come. The rest of the Deatheaters left the room and Yaxley and the singled out pair joined Lucius.

"This is going to be very _interesting_," said Lucius to no one inparticular.

"It sure is," said the Taylor Lautner poster*.

-0000-

At the same time, as Lucius and the Deatheaters bound Harry, a group of first years could be seen on their knees in the owlery, toothbrushes in hand.

A tall, extremely pretty girl with long, shiny hair walked between them. "Alright, y'all, that's good," she said with her southern accent, "keep up the good work."

"Pleasure, Miss Chang," grinned Seamus looking up.

A girl with bushy, brown hair straightened up. "Cho," she exclaimed angrily, "Could you please help too?"

Cho looked over at her in surprise, "Well, I am," she stated, "I gave my toothbrush to Dean and now he's working twice as hard, bless his heart!" She gestured at a dark-skinned boy with two toothbrushes who had his head down and was working heard. Cho sat down on Seamus back and started filing her nails.

"No, Cho," said the brown haired girl, sounding exasperated, "we all have to do an equal share of work-!"

"Well that doesn't sound very fair."

-0000-

Harry groaned as his eyes flickered open, his head ached and his memory seemed a little Hazy. "Where am I?" he murmured.

"Hello, Potter," said Lucius, spreading his arms wide as, behind him, Yaxley impersonated a robot and two Deatheaters swapped their arms over their legs in unison.

"What a marvellous display, I'm very impressed!" smiled Harry, nodding in approval.

"Hey, Lucius," a couple of Deatheaters quickly distracted them all, "where do you want these boxes of torturing supplies?" asked one of them, holding up a box with 'pizza' written on it. The best way to smuggle torturing supplies, after all, was to trick people into thinking they were delivering pizza; _everybody_ loves pizza.

"Just stack them right in here, thanks-."

"WOAH! W-WAIT A SECOND! WHAT? _TORTURING SUPPLIES_? WHO ARE YOU GUYS?" exclaimed Harry wide-eyed.

"We are men who have lost a great deal because of you, Potter," Lucius walked towards Harry, "I am Lucius Malfoy and we are the Deatheaters!" he said, sweeping his arm around the room.

"Woah! Listen, look, I know I beat your 'Dark Lord' or whatever when I was a baby," stammered Harry, weakly smiling, "but don't you think it's time you guys got over it?" he asked shifting his weight on the chair he was tied to.

-0000-

"Message for Hermione Granger!" called Hedwig as she flapped around the room.

"Oh, birdy, I'm Hermione Granger!" exclaimed the girl with bushy brown hair, pointing to herself with her toothbrush.

"Oh, here you go," said Hedwig handing her a letter.

Pfft.

"You missed a spot."

"Thanks," said Hermione, frowning, and proceeded to open the letter.

"What's it say?" asked a tall red-head, coming round behind Hermione to read the letter over her shoulder.

"It says: _Harry Potter is in grave danger_. Oh, no. _Meet me by the Divination class as soon as you can, signed Little D_."

"Little D, Little D..." frowned the red-head. "Little..."

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed the two of them in unison.

"I knew Umbridge was gonna hurt Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, worry filling her voice, "Well, we have to go right now!"

She and the red-head started to run towards the door.

"Just where do y'all think you're goin'?" asked Cho, sitting down on the nearest person.

"Harry's in trouble!" exclaimed the red-head.

Seamus straightened up, "In trouble, Ron? He's Harry Freakin' Potter, for Wizard God's sake! He'll be fine!"

"He's not invincible, Seamus!" exclaimed Hermione, "And even if he was, he can still be hurt!" Hermione sounded so worried that Lavender stopped scrubbing and screwed her face up and began to wail. Neville patted the small, Japanese girl on the arm and turned to look accusingly at Hermione.

Dean surprised everyone by straightening up, especially as Cho had been sat on his back. She gave a little squeal and tumbled to the floor. "Herman's right," he said, "and he's our friend, we ought to help him."

Cho climbed to her feet, still managing to look dignified, "Fine!" Hermione sighed in relief, "But we're coming too!"

-0000-

"OH MY GOD! UMBRIDGE, STOP TEXTING ME!" shouted Lucius.

"Did you get my text?" asked Umbridge, throwing to door open.

"Yes!"

"Well, you didn't text me back!" she frowned, and then caught sight of Harry, "Oh, I see you found Potter," she smiled shutting the door behind her.

"Umbridge!" growled Harry, "Of course you're behind all of this!"

Umbridge smiled at the young boy, although, to be honest, it was more of a leer. She turned to Lucius, "Has he spoken yet?"

"We were just getting started."

"Well, hurry up! And make sure you keep your end of the deal; because I gave you your little boyfriend and now I want mine!" Umbridge turned towards the door, "I gotta go!" and then paused, "Oh, and Potter. I thought you might to know that Umbridge has a whole _army_ of dementors on their way to the castle, right now!" she said, turning round and heading towards the bound boy until she was stood behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders, "and they're gonna give your friend, Sirius Black," She lent forward so her lips were beside his ear, "a big fat wet kiss goodbye for you!" she whispered as Harry strained against the bonds, trying hard to get free. "Then maybe he can say 'hi' to you parents for you!" smirked Umbridge, tapping him on the head and walking out of the room, laughing all the way.

Harry's mouth fell open in shock; she had the _nerve_ to speak about his parents like that? He mentally shook himself; now was not the time to get lost in his own thoughts. Harry struggled against the bonds again, trying desperately to even loosen them enough to slip out.

Lucius turned to Harry, a faint smile tracing his lips, and the eleven-year-old began to feel fear and dread shoot through his body like wildfire. His heartbeat shot up, sweat trickled down his temple, his mouth went dry and he shivered, hunching his shoulders and involuntarily drawing back into the chair.

"Scared?" sneered Lucius, a smirk domination his features, "Well, I always like to be sure I'm right!"

Lucius lifted his wand.

Harry's murky green eyes widened.

"_CRUCIO!"_ shouted Lucius. _Oh God, _thought Harry, as he writhed on the chair, _Oh my God..._

-0000-

"Little D?" exclaimed Cho, "You're Little D?"

Draco Malfoy looked at the group before him. "No need to trust me so," he said sarcastically.

"Why would we?" growled Dean, pointing his wand at the boy.

"Well, because I'm about to _blow your minds_!" said the blonde, walking forwards, "I'm from, wait for it, THE FUTURE!"

"GASP!"

"Yes, the distant future of... two thousand and nine."

"That's one year away!" said Neville.

"Yes, indeed..." smirked Draco as he explained everything in as little detail as possible, with the occasional interruption like 'Sirius Black's good?' or 'Centaurs?'

"...But my father has captured Harry Potter and I dread to think what he'll do to him," finished Draco, looking around at the eleven-year-olds in front of him.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" exclaimed Hermione, "We have to go _now!_"

-0000-

Harry's breathing was heavy as Lucius knelt down (with a little twirl) to his eye level. It was a wonder that no one had heard him, though he supposed the room had been soundproofed especially for this.

"Just tell me where Dumbledore is and I'll stop," said Lucius, making it sound like a fair deal. _I don't know!_ Harry wanted to scream, but he was just so tired. Lucius looked at him for a second and then twirled to his feet.

"Well, if I haven't loosened your tongue enough so far," Lucius walked over to the pile of boxes and opened his third. Harry flinched as Lucius reached inside, only to pull out a small vial with a deep blue liquid inside.

"This," said the blonde Deatheater as he walked towards Harry, "is a potion that will steadily increase the pain you are in for twenty four hours. I, myself, cannot tell you exactly what this does, but even the strongest men prefer the cruciatus curse over just a drop of this." Harry gulped but closed his mouth firmly, "Playing the hard way, are we? _Crucio_!"

Harry yelled in pain and Lucius grabbed his jaw, tipping the liquid into his mouth. Harry gagged as Lucius forced his mouth shut until he swallowed.

Harry looked at Lucius and knew he was failing in trying to hide his fear.

It felt like someone had set him alight; everything burned. Harry gasped in shock at the ferocity as it spread through his body. Convulsing and coughing he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to steady his breathing.

"And I _can _make it worse, tell me where Dumbledore is!"

Harry shook his head, meaning it as an 'I don't know', but he realized to late what it would be taken as.

"Fine," said Lucius, "Yaxley!"

"Yes, boss?" asked the dark-skinned man as he came over to the pair of them.

Lucius turned back to Harry, "Yaxley is very fond of a rare and old torture curse that feels just like it's tearing your soul in half. I, as you know, am especially fond of the cruciatus curse."

Harry trembled as both men lifted their wands.

-0000-

The small group ran down the corridors towards Umbridge's office; their feet pounding on the ground as they sped forwards.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Ron, stopping the group in their tracks, "We need a plan!"

"Ron's right," said Hermione, lowering her voice so no one but the rest of the group could hear.

"Right," said Ron, "here's what we're gonna do..."

-0000-

A short while later...

Lucius and Yaxley abruptly stopped their spells as the door lock clicked. Harry's head dropped forward as he panted for breath. The door swung open and three Deatheaters, all with long black cloaks and masks, walked in. The first was tall with short, bright red hair with a rat on his shoulder. The second was short with extremely blonde hair, and the third was of average height with long, bush brown hair. Harry didn't look up, in fact, he didn't react at all to their entrance.

"You there!" demanded Lucius, "who are you?"

"Us?" said the first, "We're the... backup Deatheaters. The, urm, union sent us over."

"Curious," frowned Lucius, "what Union?"

"The one for Deatheaters," stated the first as if it should be obvious.

"Mmm," said Lucius, "mmm, I'm familiar," he nodded.

"Oh! Well, they said before you, um, _continue _torturing Harry Potter, here, you're required to take a ten minute break, so they sent over some Pizza," said the first nervously, revealing a pizza box, after all, _everybody _loves pizza.

"What you got on there, new guy?" asked Yaxley, stepping forwards.

"Oh, all your favourites: mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red peppers and a _knuckle sandwich!_"

Boi-ing!

Yaxley stumbled backwards, hand over his mouth, "Lucius," he whined, "the new guy punched me!"

"I don't think these are new guys at all..." Lucius twirled as he went over to the Deatheaters, grabbing the first and third's masks and pulling, "more like new children!" Hermione and Ron gasped and, in all the commotion, no one noticed the group of kids sneak past.

"Well, you got us," said Ron, pulling out another box, "and we were saving this to celebrate saving Harry," another _pizza_ box, "but I guess you guys can have the real pizza."

"Don't mind if I do!" smiled Yaxley.

Boi-ing!

Two kids jumped out as Yaxley stumbled backwards, and, pulling his wand out of his hand, Dean and Seamus shoved Yaxley into the inner office and locked the door behind him.

"Phase one complete!" shouted Ron gleefully, "Phase two!"

"Jellylegs Jinx!" shouted Hermione, pointing her wand at Lucius, and then Neville jumped out and hit him over the head with a rememberall, which promptly turned red.

Ron and Hermione ran over to Harry as the rest fought of the remaining Deatheaters. "Are you ok?" asked Hermione, her voice thick with worry. Harry managed a small nod, though anyone could tell he was lying and something was still causing him pain.

"What did they do to him?" asked Cho worriedly as she joined them.

"I don't know," replied Hermione honestly, "the cruciatus curse wouldn't affect you like this so..."

"Darkweed," murmured Ron. Hermione and Cho looked at him questioningly, "I'll explain later, c'mon." And with that, Ron quickly untied Harry and slung one of his best friend's arms over his shoulder, helping him to his feet.

The group kept themselves hidden, not wanting to reveal themselves to anyone in case they reported back to Umbridge.

Finally, though, Harry collapsed, despite Ron's help.

"We've got to keep going!" whispered Cho, "we've got to find somewhere safe!"

"Harry's not in any fit state to go anywhere, Wizard God knows how he got this far!" Hermione hissed back.

"This place is as good as anywhere, or better," said Seamus, "deserted and easy to guard."

"I'll keep watch this way," sighed Dean, sitting down near one end of the corridor, "We're still stuffed, though."

"Yeah," Ron sighed, "Redvine?"

Soon everyone was chewing on Redvines and guarding the place or sticking with Harry.

"What did they even want?" asked Cho, who had decided to stay with Harry.

"Dumbledore's location," Harry managed to get out, his hands balled tightly into fists against the pain.

"Do you even know where he is?" Cho frowned, but Harry shook his head. "They wanted information, oh God, none of y'all know where he is?" Hermione and Ron shook his head, "Would they have kept going 'till..." she didn't finish.

"They didn't need to," said Ron bluntly, though anyone could tell he was trying not to cry.

"That reminds me, what did you mean when you said 'Darkweed'?" asked Hermione. Everyone was listening.

"My dad told me about it," Ron started, "It's made mainly from Nightshade and Angelweed-."

"I thought Angelweed was used in medicine," frowned Pansy as she comforted a crying Lavender.

"It is, but if treated correctly, or _incorrectly_, you could say, it can even be a poison-."

"So Harry's been poisoned?" asked Draco, looking straight at Harry.

"If I could continue without interruption!" frowned Ron, pulling out another Redvine to murmured apologies. "He's not been poisoned; Darkweed is a torture potion. It was developed a few months back but a crate of the stuff was stolen a week ago. That's why my dad knows about it, that stuff's dangerous, because that's not the worst of it." Ron glanced round at the group, and finally at Harry, who he figured probably didn't want to hear this.

"I'm sure Harry will be fine," said Hermione comfortingly, but she also seemed unsure; by the look on her face, she'd guessed what was coming next.

Ron took a breath in, "Most people last twenty-four hours-."

"What do you mean, 'most _people_'?" asked Cho.

"After twenty-four hours," Ron swallowed thickly, "after twenty-four hours most, well, most can't take it and, umm, well, their bodies, they just, they just _shut down_," Ron choked out as if he had admitted him worst fear, which, in a way, he had.

"Well," said Hermione biting her lip, trying to hold back the tears, "we can't be sure we've got the right potion, can we?"

"It's the only one that lasts more than five minutes," sobbed Ron, finally allowing the tears to fall.

Cho looked at everyone, who had all started to cry, "Come on y'all," she said worriedly, "surely there's hope, there's always _hope_!"

Ron looked up," There's a slim chance he'll be strong enough," he murmured, "if you're strong enough it doesn't kill you. But this isn't something that you can just forget about; it's not something that won't leave a mark. Even if he does survive, he'll never be the same. But he's _eleven_, how's an eleven-year-old supposed to be strong enough?"

Everyone stared straight at Harry, whose eyes where shut tight. His head was resting on his knees which were drawn up to his body. His arms where folded around them and his hands balled tightly into fists. His breathing was ragged and he was shivering slightly. He gave no indication that he had heard any of the conversation.

Cho put an arm round his shoulder and blinked, "He's so hot, y'all," she whispered.

"Fever," said Ron shortly, "It kicks in three hours after the potion is administered, it'll get worse." Ron put his head in his hands and cried; something which Ron didn't ever do.

The group spent hours talking quietly and wondering how their teachers would react to them not being in lessons, anything to distract them from the possibility of what could happen. Cho kept her arm around Harry the whole time, she felt partly responsible; _she_'d held up Ron and Hermione, _she_'d demanded to go too. No one else, but her, and now Harry was facing dead and maybe, if she hadn't said anything, this wouldn't have happened. Despite it being one in the morning, no one felt in the least tired, though at midday, after devouring two whole packets of Redvines, the group, apart from Harry, dozed off.

The pain Harry was in was unimaginable, he could barely move for it. He could hardly hear anything either, it felt as if wind was rushing past his ears at a hundred miles per hour. The pain didn't even let him give into the darkness, and so he sat there, with fire in his viens.

-0000-

Ron's eyes shot open and he stretched, grabbing a Redvine and checking his watch. Eleven at night, he'd slept nearly twelve hours, and twenty-four hours was more than over.

Harry was paler than before, if that were possible, and he was lying on his side. His face was shiny with sweat and his eyes shut. He didn't so much as twitch.

Ron lent forwards with trembling fingers to check for a pulse.

-0000-

***The Taylor Lautner poster was supposed to literally _be_ Peter Pettgrew in the play, much like the BOSS Zefron poster being a Horcrux, the blooper was a trick to get us all to think it should be offstage.**

**Tada! Please review, and tell me if I should write more chapters, if I have enough people saying NOOO, I won't, but if I don't I will :) Beware, telling me not to write another chapter may change whether I keep Harry alive or not, I've not decided yet XD**

**This chapter is twenty pages in my notebook which I was writing at 1 in the morning last night because I couldn't get to sleep, so sorry if it's not that good. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written, though there are at least three other places I could have stopped it.**

**Well, reviewing makes the world go round. Smell ya later!**


	2. Hope can only go so far

**Chapter 2 folks, I hope you enjoy.**

**This took longer than it should have done – my computer died and I lost the chapter, my reaction was a very suitable swearword. So, again, I am so very sorry.**

-0000-

_Ron lent forwards with trembling fingers to check for a pulse._

"Oh, thank God!" he breathed, shutting his eyes for a second in relief. Harry was still hot, but his heartbeat, though feeble, was there. There was no way, however, that he'd pull through if they didn't Madam Pomfrey on him, even Ron could tell that. But they still had hope, more hope than they'd had before.

Hermione blinked a couple of times and pushed herself upwards. She looked at Harry and Ron answered the unasked question, "He's alive, but we need to get him to the hospital wing."

"But Umbridge will probably look there!"

"I know, but we haven't got a choice."

Ron looked down at his best friend, he wasn't going to let Harry die; he'd rather die himself. "I don't think we should move him, though, we'd have to get Madam Pomfrey down here."

Slowly people began to wake up and push themselves into sitting positions, Harry, though, didn't stir.

"Surely he should be awake by now?" said Cho softly, looking at the still prone boy.

"Yes, I don't know why..." Ron replied softly, frowning, "We need to get him to the hospital wing."

"You're right," said Pansy, as she patted Lavender on the shoulder, "as soon as possible."

"But how, won't they be watching, who's going to go, y'all? And how are y'all going to get him down there?"

"We're going to get word to Madam Pomfrey rather than move him, it's safer. And the people who go will just have to keep themselves hidden."

"Right," said Hermione, standing up, "we can't just sit around and do nothing! You" she pointed at Seamus and Dean, "get to the hospital wing and get Madam Pomfrey down here and Ron should stay with Harry and keep an eye on him and if he gets worse, give one of the others a shout and you three, Cho, Pansy, Lavender, guard the ends of the corridor and you decide who goes to which end and Neville, Draco, you go and find Umbridge and then Neville should report back whilst Draco follows her because we need to know where she is at all time and I'm going to go to the library." She said all this very fast, with hardly a breathe, and her face seemed slightly red once she had finished, her breathing a little heavier.

"The library? What you goin' down there for?" asked Seamus, frowning.

"We have no idea what's wrong with Harry, right?"

"Right..."

"So I'm going to see if I can find something."

"Oh."

There was an awkward pause where nobody said anything and everybody stared round the room at each other, trying to work out what Hermione had asked them to do.

Finally, Cho stood up, her eyes sweeping round. "She's right, y'all, even if she is a bit..." her eyes trailed over Hermione as her voice trailed off in much the same way.

"A bit what-?" asked Hermione, her eyes narrowing.

Dean, sensing danger jumped to his feet. "Seamus and I will be off then!" he said, grabbing his friend by the arm and quickly dragging him from the room.

Neville watched them and realized exactly why and, pulling on Draco's sleeve, the next two made their quick escape, much to Draco's annoyance; he had wanted to play the hero to whatever scrape was going to come next.

The two girls where glaring daggers at each other, and one was going to fly at the other any second. "Urm, Hermione..." said Ron nervously, his eyes darting between the two of them, weren't you saying something about the library?"

Hermione blinked as if waking from a deep sleep, "Yeah-yeah, I was... I'd better be going." And with one last, reproachful look at Cho and a swift smile at Ron she left the corridor.

Cho glared at her back for as long as Hermione stayed visible before plonking herself down at one end of the corridor. "Y'all take the other," she said shortly, nodding curtly to Pansy and Lavender, who was crying harder the more time went on.

-0000-

**Sorry it's so short, and I'm sorry for the time it took. And I'm sorry you couldn't see the original one (it was better than this, far better. And longer).**

**Well, that'll teach me not to back up my chapters...**


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